A guest blog post from the wonderful Lisa Campbell!

Christmas is a time of wonder – a time of sparkly lights, magical tales and festive traditions!

In 2007, Joshua Bell – one of the world’s greatest concert violists participated in a social experiment in a busy subway station in Washington DC. Just days before the experiment, Bell had played a concert where the cheapest seats had cost about $100 but this time, he posed as a busker and played his Stradivarius during rush hour in the station for about 45 minutes. Of the 1097 people who walked past Joshua Bell that day, only six people stopped to listen – just 6 people who paused to notice and wonder at the beauty right in front of their eyes (and ears!!).

Wonder is so important for all of us – the ancient Greek philosopher, Socrates, once said that ‘wonder is the beginning of wisdom’ – yet we are often too busy or distracted to notice the wonder that surrounds us. That is particularly true for adults, who become so easily distracted by the pressures and responsibilities of every day life that can weigh heavily upon us. Children are often far better than adults at this if we make space and allow them to day dream – but even children sometimes need encouragement to stop and wonder ..

Wonder often leads to thankfulness and is good for the soul! It feeds our imaginations and raises our expectations of what is possible. It begins with taking time to be still, to notice, to be curious about the world around us. When we make space for that, it can transform our perspective. Charlie Chaplin once said ‘You’ll never find a rainbow if you’re looking down.’

Do you make space for wonder? Opportunities each day to slow down, to pause, to be still, to notice, to enjoy and to wonder.

How can you water the seeds of curiosity and wonder in the children you are journeying with this week? – bringing curiosity to the wonderful world around them, noticing the beauty and recognising the wonder that they are!

 ‘For you created my inmost being;

    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

    your works are wonderful,

    I know that full well.’ Psalm 139:13-14

Pause … Be Still … Notice … Wonder …